Cars, bikes that you can look forward to in 2011

Renault has had a not-so-fabulous entry into India with the Logan, and it went about repairing this by first ending its JV with Mahindra and solely concentrating on its own efforts.

It will begin its innings with the Fluence sedan and the Koleos SUV, both of which should be here by the end of the year.

The Fluence is a Honda Civic-rivalling saloon that was launched in Europe in 2009.

Smart looking and with lots of space on the inside, the Fluence will be powered by two engine options - a revised version of the 1.5-litre dCi diesel engine found on the Logan, with 105 bhp, and a 140 bhp, 2.0-litre petrol engine.

Cars, bikes that you can look forward to in 2011

This was the first car that VW launched in India and it was a very good D-segment sedan, but it didn't sell that well, due to various reasons.

The all-new Passat aims to change all that.

It now looks exciting, unlike the older car, with edgy styling and some cues from the Audi A4.

It's loaded to the gills with technology and features, a lot of it from the Phaeton - Park Assist, start-stop, regenerative braking, Fatigue Detection, Dynamic Light Assist and city-speed automatic emergency braking, to name a few.

Cars, bikes that you can look forward to in 2011

Because at Rs 550,000, the 883 Sportster SuperLow will be, from January 2011, the cheapest Harley-Davidson you can buy in India.

It's small, not your typical full-size H-D, but it is every bit the old school, basic cruiser you need for a quick Sunday ride.

For Rs 650,000 you can have the more menacing 883 Iron.

The two motorcycles are essentially the same - the SuperLow gets a larger fuel tank and beginner-friendly front-end geometry, while the Iron gets the all matte black treatment borrowed from the Night Rod.

Also coming in is an Asia-specific H-D, something in the 700-800cc range, which will be produced locally.